January 11 to 17, 2026 ; Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

 Sunday ; Raining, +8° C.

Did some minor maintenance on the car this morning, tightening valve stems. Spent too much time this afternoon spinning my wheels trying to configure our i-Phone and my laptop to connect to the our suite’s TV via Chromecast. I succeeded with the phone, but was not particularly impressed with the results. After awhile of trying with the laptop I gave up, deciding that it wasn’t worth the effort, since I can easily accomplish the same with an HDMI cable between the laptop and the TV.

Joanne made wonderful homemade turkey noodle soup for supper, using the remains of the Christmas turkey carcass. Well done, my dear, thank you.

Monday ; Raining, +10° C.

Apollo is really fed up with being forced to go outside in the rain. When it rains for days at a time, as it is doing now, he holds his bowels for 24 hours, and then empties only when forced to be outside for a long walk, hating every minute of being wet. Poor little fellow.

Late this morning we headed to Uptown Mall for another episode of Wal-Martin’. We had planned this to allow our suite to be empty for its scheduled noon cleaning. We returned from shopping at 1:40 PM to discover that Housekeeping had not been in to service our room. I stomped over to the front office to find out why, only to discover that there was apparently no record of the schedule for cleaning of our room on Fridays and Mondays, as had been arranged upon check-in, as asked for by the hotel’s general manager. Still hard to find good help, isn’t it ? ! ?

The good news is ... Wal-Mart is no longer crowded, as during November and December. And the Uptown Mall location is pleasantly close to the Robin Hood Inn.

While Joanne began shopping in the food section of the store I went looking for the stationery department, to buy a highlighter. The stationery section was not obvious, so I stopped to ask a clerk for directions. I walked up behind her as she was restocking. I asked her where I could find stationery ? She was unresponsive, and mumbling incoherently and somewhat louder than usual mumbling. I surmised that she was deaf. I stepped around to the side of her, caught her eye, and she turned towards me and gestured that she was deaf. No problem.

me ; <signing> are you deaf ?

her ; <looking surprised ... signing> yes

me ; where are ... <thinking ... don’t know a sign for highlighter ... too long a word to finger spell> ... pens ?

her ; <pointing straight upwards>

me ; <thinking ... HUH ? ... in heaven ? ... OH ! ... upstairs> Thank you

her ; Thank you for recognizing my deafness, and using sign language.

me ; You’re welcome

I have seldom had occasion to use sign language in the last 45 years, but ... some basics remain in memory, I guess.

After our return from Wal-Mart, and stomping to the front office, we had a late lunch. While eating lunch, and watching the ongoing Minneapolis drama on CNN <sigh> a very pleasant Hispanic young woman came to service our room. Her English was poor, so ... I practiced some Spanish on her. WOW ... I’m on a linguistics roll today. HA HA HA ! She seemed to be in a very good mood. Probably thinking ... “glad I immigrated to THIS country !”

Tuesday ; Overcast, +11° C.

Today was a squabble day ! Started as soon as we were both out of bed, continued all day ! Brutal ! ! ! Today was also Apollo haircut day. We didn’t get started until late afternoon ... wasted too much time on endless, senseless squabbling ... so we didn’t finish his haircut today. Hopefully, tomorrow.

Wednesday ; Sunny until mid-afternoon, then raining, +11° C.

It feels as if spring has arrived in Victoria. Temperatures above 10° C., lilies and irises and tulips springing up in gardens.

Around noon we headed out in the car, Apollo in tow, to run some errands and buy lunch. We went to Country Grocer in Esquimalt and bought some advertised specials, then stopped in to a nearby thrift store to browse. We bought nothing. We walked across the street, I checked out the “free books” rack at the Esquimalt branch of the Victoria Public Library, then we walked a few doors down to buy lunch at a tiny “hole in the wall” diner.

La Belle Patate (the pretty potato) is owned and operated by a Quebecois fellow not much younger than us. Until a few years ago he operated a pataterie (french fries shop) in Florida during the winters. Like most Canadian Snowbirds, he had the wisdom to get the hell out of that shithole of a third world nation ... now governed by a fascist regime ...permanently ! His products are ... poutine ! And hot dogs ! In a variety of permutations and combinations. We chose Montreal smoked meat poutine, with chicken gravy, available only Wednesdays and Sundays, as opposed to the regular vegetarian gravy. We took it home and ate it for a late lunch. It was stupendous ! He also offers three different styles of hot dogs, including “guedilles”, a Quebecois / Gaspésie version of hot dogs we were not previously familiar with. The three of us had a conversation that flipped back and forth between English and French.

I love this country !

After our poutine lunch, and a brief nap for Apollo and me, we finished Apollo’s haircut. Just in time for his birthday tomorrow.

Thursday ; HAPPY 14^th BIRTHDAY TO APOLLO !

Sunny, +11° C. A lovely spring day. We had a slow, lazy day at home, pampering Apollo on his birthday. I spent much of the day finalizing my 2025 investment updates and analyses. HMPH ! Time for some changes ! Well ... that’s exactly what “financial analysis” should lead to, when it’s warranted.

We made supper together. Egg Foo Yung. Dismal failure ! <shrug> In the evening we watched the first couple of episodes of the series THE PITT. We have just recorded all of the first year’s episodes. <blink blink> I think we’re hooked !

Friday ; Sunny, +9° C.

We went out and did some exploring today. We left our suite at 1 PM, after an early (for us) lunch. We drove to a local thrift store called Burnside Boutique and browsed. Nice thrift store, didn’t buy anything today, but we’ll likely return. Then off to Mayfair Shopping Centre, a nearby very large shopping mall. We started, and ended, at H MART, an Asian supermarket that anchors the mall. It was a very interesting supermarket, and more ... “accessible” / understandable to us than other Asian supermarkets we have visited. We found a few interesting products we wanted to buy and try, so after browsing the supermarket, we walked around and browsed the entire mall, until Joanne was complaining that she was tired of walking. HA HA HA ... okay, dear ... time to get you back home. We returned to H MART, bought a few items, then returned home to Robin Hood Inn & Suites.

A hundred and fifty bucks a pound for live King Crab ? ? ? ! ! ! <wince>

Watched two more episodes of THE PITT in the evening.

Saturday ; Happy 27^th birthday to Joanne’s niece Madeleine

Sunny, +10° C. Researched local auto service centres, made an appointment for some fluids “flush and refill” services at a local Canadian Tire next week. Did some financial planning and research. Apollo and I had a long nap this sunny afternoon while Joanne went shopping. AHHHHH ... life is good today ! For all of us !

DSK

January 4 to 10, 2025 ; Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

 Sunday ; Sunny in the morning, then intermittent light rain, +8 C.

We had an extremely late and slow start to the day ... <shrug>. And then ... <sigh> ... spent too long pontificating about ... <ahem> ... current geopolitical issues ! ! !

ELBOWS UP, PEOPLE

We extend our condolences to our former (Dugald Estates) next door neighbour, whose husband just died.

Monday ; Sunny, +7° C.

The sun made it seem warmer today than it actually was. UGH ... today was the first Wal-Martin’ trip of the New Year. It has taken me all of last winter season and almost two months of this winter season to decide which is the lesser goofy Wal-Mart in Victoria ; Hillside Mall or Uptown Mall. Uptown Mall wins. More by default than anything else, because while the two Wal-Marts are somewhat equidistant from the Royal Scot Suites Hotel where we have been for the last two months, the Uptown location is much closer to Robin Hood Inn, where we are moving to in a few days, for three months / the remainder of this winter.

I spent the evening setting up medical, income tax, and investment records keeping spreadsheet files for 2026. The early days of each new year always ends my Holiday Season depression and negativity, and kicks my OCD into overdrive. Although this year, I must confess ... my thought processes right now are extremely affected by current ... <ahem> ... geopolitical concerns ! ! !

Tuesday ; Rain, +7° C.

I was too groggy this morning to check if it was raining before I went outside with Apollo. YIKES ! I ducked into the hotel lobby with Apollo in tow, and grabbed a hotel loaner umbrella. BUT ... poor Apollo ! He did not have his raincoat on, and by the time we had finished our walk, he was as soaked as if he had just had a bath. Sorry, Apollo ... my bad ! I wrapped him in his blankie and he went back to sleep for another couple of hours with Joanne, until he was dry and warm.

At 4:30 PM we went to the pool and fitness room for an hour. While I worked out with dumbbells Joanne did aquatics exercises in the pool, then we soaked in the hot tub. Apollo was quiet while alone in the room. Good dog, Apollo.

Wednesday ; Mostly sunny today, +7° C.

Apollo is sick today. More lethargic than usual, not in and of itself a major concern, but ... he refuses to eat or drink. <sigh> He seems to not be suffering in any way, he’s not vomiting, doesn’t have diarrhea, etc. BUT ... <swallowing hard> ... our lifelong experiences with pets suggests that this might be the beginning of the last week of his life. Unable / unwilling to eat or drink due to slow, multiple organ failures. I certainly hope I’m wrong !

Joanne phoned her respirologist’s office this morning, to inquire about the medical test she has been waiting for since last May. Eight months of waiting for a test that was supposed to have a six week waiting period ! ! ! ! ! And to make a relatively long story shorter ... she discovered that the Winnipeg hospital where the referral was sent last May has bounced the referral to the hospital in Selkirk. Joanne phoned the correct department in the Selkirk Hospital to discover that they are currently scheduling patients who were referred for this test in April 2024 ! ! ! ! ! Their waitlist for this test is twenty-one months ! ! ! ! ! So ... Joanne’s referral has been sent back to the Winnipeg hospital. After eight months of waiting, she’s back at square zero ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

SHE HAS NOW BEEN COUGHING FOR TWO YEARS. No diagnosis ... and no treatment plan, obviously.

I needed to phone Telus about a minor change I wanted made to our cell phone service. This kind of matter, in my opinion, usually results in a whole lot of cell phone drama, and usually ends in failure. Well ... not today ! With kudos to Telus, there certainly was a lot of “drama” in getting this minor issue resolved, but the agent who served me refused to give up until he eventually got the problem solved and my needs met. Thank you, Telus.

Upon reflection, I remember having a minor issue last year with our Telus cell service a year ago while we were in Victoria, and I got a service agent at the Bay Centre Telus store who persisted until my problem was solved / my needs were met.

And finally ... I have just watched the video of the murder by an ICE agent of the woman in Minneapolis, and ... I feel nauseous !

At bedtime I administered an appropriate dosage of Pepto-Bismal to Apollo, followed by a syringe of water. He had not eaten anything or drank today. We went out for a slow walk and when we returned he ... asked for food ! And ate a small amount. WOO-HOO !

Thursday ; Overcast, +6° C.

Well ! Sometimes it certainly is satisfying to be wrong ! Apollo seems fine today.

I woke up when he left our bed at 5 AM and walked to the kitchen for a drink of water. I expected him to return to bed a few moments later and when he didn’t I sat up to see where he was and what he was doing. He indicated that he wanted to go outside. <sigh> I got up ... at 5 AM ! ... and took him for a walk. When we returned he drank a bit more water, then indicated he wanted some food. I fed him a small meal ... HE ATE ! ... and we returned to bed.

That process repeated itself at 8 AM. And as the day wore on it became more obvious that he’s feeling better / healthy. Hopefully yesterday’s illness was simply a short lived mystery ailment.

Today was dedicated to preparing for check-out of the Royal Scot tomorrow morning and move to the Robin Hood Inn for the next three months. Most of the efforts were Joanne’s. I’m mostly the “muscle” behind such activities. And my value as “muscle” is greatly diminished !

Next door to the Royal Scot is a very nice condominium building. A suite has just been listed for sale there. I checked the listing online. It’s a two bedroom, two bathroom suite, similar size to our condo suite in Tuxedo / Winnipeg. Balcony not enclosed, as ours is. James Bay neighbourhood, very nice, but ... not quite on a par with Tuxedo. Price is ... <blink blink> ... more than triple what we paid for our suite in September !

Friday ; from Royal Scot Suites Hotel to Robin Hood Inn & Suites

Mix of sun and clouds, +8° C.

We were up at 8 AM, and checked out of the Royal Scot Suites Hotel at 10:30 AM. We had to kill time until we could check in to Robin Hood Inn & Suites. We went to explore Beacon Hill Park. We found ... <blink> ... a small flock of peacocks living in the park. Who knew ? Then we found a children’s zoo in the park, closed for the winter, but with alpacas wandering around inside the gated compound.

HA HA HA ... Apollo is so “chill”. HEY ... peacocks. OK ! HEY ... alpacas. OK ! HEY ... ducks ! OK ! HEY ... Golden Retrievers ! GRRRRR !

We drove to Robin Hood Inn around noon and asked if we could check in. No, not yet, phone around 1:30 PM. We went to explore the Gorge /Tillicum area. We had a picnic lunch in the car parked at one of the many small park areas along the Gorge Waterway. I phoned the Robin Hood Inn again at 1:30 PM. No, not yet, come at 3:30 PM. We did more exploring of stores and shops and malls in the area. We did a small amount of grocery shopping at Dollarama and Fairway Market, both in the same small mall near Robin Hood Inn. We checked in to Robin Hood Inn at 3:30 PM.

Our suite at Robin Hood Inn is good, slightly larger and better laid out than the one at Royal Scot. The kitchen is larger and better equipped. The building is older and slightly run down. The suites have been renovated and are modern / updated. The area is "uptown", not downtown, in a slightly scruffy, mixed area of commercial and residential. Certainly not James Bay ! Joanne did all of the unpacking, I wasn’t feeling well. Apollo is very happy. He certainly takes “moving” in stride !

Saturday ; Raining, +8° C.

Today was a bit of a rest day. At our age ... aren’t they all ? ! ? HA HA HA ! Yesterday’s move tired us out, especially Joanne. We had breakfast in the hotel’s “great room” where breakfast is provided every day for hotel guests. That’s a nice perk ! I was interested to see and try the “automatic pancake making machine”. HA HA HA ! Very interesting technology. Makes really crappy pancakes ! HA HA HA <SNORT> HA HA !

Around noon we went for a leisurely walk (again ... aren’t they all ?) around the residential neighbourhood behind the hotel. The hotel faces a busy arterial / commercial street, but behind the hotel is a residential neighbourhood. It’s an elegant old neighbourhood, but ... facing reality ... it’s a ****ing rainforest ! Which I suppose is true for much of Vancouver Island. The lawns are ... moss ! The roofs of the homes are ... covered in moss. Same with the driveways and sidewalks. Moss, moss, and more moss ! Oh, well, at least the homeowners don’t need to spend money on snow blowers and lawn mowers. HA HA HA !

It took far too long for me to jump through too many hoops this afternoon to send money via “Global Money Transfer” service of BMO as a deposit on the brand new condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico I have rented for five months next winter. However ... I do appreciate the efforts that BMO makes to prevent their (elderly) clients from being victims of fraud / sending money to Nigerian Princes.

DSK

December 28, 2025 to January 3, 2026 ; Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

 Sunday ; Sunny, cold, +4 C.°

I took Apollo for a couple walks today, enjoying the sunshine despite the cold. Joanne did laundry. I went to the hotel’s book exchange library and scrounged for interesting books to read / take with me when we move in less than two weeks to Robin Hood Inn. Again we spent quite a bit of today discussing and researching our options for travel next winter, probably to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

A few weeks ago I bought a liquid glucosamine and have been administering a carefully measured appropriate dosage daily to Apollo. His activity level has increased / mobility difficulties have decreased. We’re impressed. Joanne thinks she should start taking glucosamine. You go, girl !

Monday ; Mostly sunny, chilly, +6° C.

Again Apollo woke me up at 7:30 AM, wanting to go outside. It seems as if his overnight bladder capacity / endurance has diminished from 9 hours to 8 hours. <sigh> Yeah, Apollo ... I get it !

We left our room this morning at 11:30 AM to allow Housekeeping a half an hour to service our room. We went to the waiting lounge in the front lobby area. Usually that area is empty. Today it slowly filled up with the fifty seniors here on a bus tour, as they waited for their noon departure by bus to Butchart Gardens. Apollo was thrilled ! He thought fifty old people ... his kind of people ! ... were coming into the lounge specifically to make friends with him. Most of them did ! HA HA HA ! Good dog, Apollo !

After much pontification and discussion over the last couple of weeks, today we decided to “bite the bullet” and make a reservation for a five month stay next winter in Mexico. Execution of that plan is dependent on Apollo’s passing, not something we hope for, but expect within the next year. Everything about this reservation via VRBO went wrong. I spent most of the evening either on the phone with their very unhelpful HELP call centre (obviously) in India, or sending / receiving messages back and forth with the American owner of the condo. The multiple problems ... cost discrepancies and payment failures ... remain unresolved at this time. Over the years I have experienced similar, insurmountable difficulties paying an “American” bill using (two) Canadian credit cards and/or (one) Canadian debit card. Back in the day, I solved that problem by having a bank account and credit card with Bank of America in Yuma, Arizona. But ... no longer ! Elbows up ! ! ! Stay tuned !

Tuesday ; Mostly sunny, +5° C.

Yesterday evening, both I and the owner of the condo in Mexico that I wish to reserve for five months next winter spent much of the evening trying and failing to get a reservation made through her chosen rental listing service VRBO. She was back at it first thing this morning, even before I was out of bed. Upon getting my day started, I also was back at it. By noon we still had not succeeded.

I gave up. I advised her that I had invested as much time and energy in this teeth gnashing, unsuccessful transaction with VRBO as was warranted, wished her a Happy New Year, and told her I was “moving on”. She asked me to phone her. I did. It took her and I only a few moments to resolve the insurmountable difficulties with VRBO, I made her a proposal, she agreed ... deal done !

After lunch we headed out with Apollo for grocery shopping at Country Grocer, and self-serve dog wash at Bosley’s, both in the same mall in Esquimalt. After bathing Apollo Joanne wrapped him in his blankie and we headed home to Royal Scot. Good (clean) dog, Apollo.

Wednesday ; New Year’s Eve ; Sunny, +7° C.

This morning we completed Apollo’s grooming, plucking and cleaning his ears, and trimming his nails. HMPH ... he needs a haircut again soon. His hair is just long enough now to begin tangling / matting whenever he gets wet. Which in Victoria during the winter is pretty much daily !

This afternoon I began working on year end financial analyses, an onerous task, but one which I usually enjoy doing. Except at the end of the years when the stock markets have done poorly.

We had an interesting dinner of appetizers, then spent the evening watching CBC’s “Cross Canada” New Year’s Eve show. It’s now 11:50 PM, I have just walked Apollo, he’s gone to bed ... joining Joanne who’s already gone to sleep. Story of my New Year’s Eve life ! HA HA HA ! HAPPY NEW YEAR ! Goodnight !

Thursday ; New Year’s Day ; Overcast, rain in the evening, +6° C.

I made “Christmas brunch” again this morning ; Belgian waffles slathered with strawberry jam and covered with vanilla ice cream. Had to use up the remaining half box of Belgian waffles.

I spent most of the day puttering with year end bill paying and investment analysis, and new year financial planning. You know it’s been a great year in the stock market when you have collected annuity pensions from your investments all year, withdrawn from your investments to buy a new (to us) condo, and the value of the investments is larger at the end of the year than at the beginning. A begrudging bit of thanks to asshole Trump for the first few months of the year, and lots of thanks to our new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for the rest. Stay the course, Mr. Carney. And elbows up, everyone !

Friday ; Overcast, intermittent drizzle, +7° C.

I continued puttering around today with year end and new year financial matters. At 11:30 AM when Housekeeping showed up to service our room, we took Apollo for a walk around the block then went to sit in the lobby lounge area to wait for Housekeeping to finish our room. I had an interesting conversation with a middle aged woman and her three high school and college aged children who were waiting for their lunch reservation in the hotel’s (overpriced) breakfast and lunch restaurant. They were here from Seattle for a brief vacation. I gathered it was the first time any of them had been to Canada ... or anywhere else outside of the USA. They had all just gotten passports for the first time.

We chatted about health care in Canada, including Canada’s recruitment of American nurses. The youngest daughter, almost finished high school, wants to be a nurse. The mother asked questions about Canada’s “free” universal health care system. And my answers dispelled myths that most Americans, including the mother, “believe” about Canada’s health care. She was particularly amazed to hear that my triple bypass surgery was performed two days after an angiogram indicated I needed it urgently. And that Joanne’s mastectomy was performed two days after her breast cancer diagnosis. And that both those surgeries, as all (well, most) health care in Canada, were “free”.

After lunch and a nap (for me and Apollo) Joanne and I left Apollo in our suite and set off for the downtown branch of the Bank of Montreal, using the hotel’s shuttle service to get there. I wanted to get Global Money Transfer service set up on my online banking application, and a visit to a branch is necessary for that.

The downtown branch of BMO is in a huge, ornate, historical building. It’s beautiful ! Too bad the BMO doesn’t staff it adequately. There were only two tellers. And the line-up in front of me was short. BUT ... nowadays the only people who go into the bank to be served in person, at a counter, by a teller, are those who require a “high maintenance” level of service, And consequently, each person seems to spend fifteen minutes at the counter. I probably spent more than that at the counter. I didn’t think that toggling “Global Money Transfer” service to the “on” position on my online banking app was high maintenance, but ... it was ! AND ... <sputter> ... the teller was not able to do it. I spent whatever ... twenty minutes ? ... answering his relatively stupid questions (in my opinion) and expressing dissatisfaction at being told I needed to make an appointment with a “specialist” and return at another time.

Eventually ... probably due to his eagerness to get rid of me because the line-up behind me had grown to about six people ... (each needing fifteen minutes of service ?) ... he wrote my answers to his stupid questions on a piece of paper, photocopied my driver’s license, then sent me on my way, advising me that instead of making an appointment for me, he would have one of his “specialist” colleagues contact me by telephone, probably before the end of the business day.

Joanne had planned for us to walk back home, and to have a Beavertail as a treat on the way. It was drizzling as we walked home. The service at the Beavertail kiosk on Broughton Avenue was poor. The front counter fellow was an idiot. And the food preparation woman in the back was careless and sloppy, “tearing” our Beavertail as she smeared it with their thick maple syrup coating. We didn’t realize that until we were back in our hotel suite, because we didn’t want to stand there in the rain at their kiosk and eat our Beavertail.

As we were passing in front of the BC Legislature Building on the way home our phone rang. I dug it out of Joanne’s purse ... she was delicately carrying the poorly wrapped Beavertail ... it was the bank’s “specialist”. She started out by asking yet another stupid question, and again one that really wasn’t any of the bank’s business / concern. “To whom did I intend to send money ?” My brain thought “what the **** is it to you whom I send money to ... sweetheart ?”

But my mouth said “I don’t intend to stand here in the rain in front of the Legislature Building and answer more of your questions, call me back in five minutes when we’re back at our hotel room”. She didn’t ! But a few minutes after the call I received a “notification” that Global Money Transfer” service was now available to me on our online banking app. <shrug>

I realize their “stupid” questions are designed to prevent old people (or anyone else) from becoming victims of fraud. But really ; “why are you sending money to someone in another country ?” and “to whom are you sending money ?” fall into my cranky old man category of aggravating and insulting.

Saturday ; Sunny in the morning, intermittent drizzle for the rest of the day, +8° C.

Slow start to the day, routine chores for much of the day, also worked on RRIF withdrawal planning for 2026, summarized 2025 medical expenses for income tax purposes, etc. Many decades ago I learned to harness my OCD and put it to good use. HA HA HA !

DSK